New Zealand's cricket captain, Kane Williamson, will not be available for the team's second match in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 against the Netherlands. While Williamson has been training with the squad, he is not yet fully fit to participate in the upcoming match. However, the team is expected to regain the services of fast bowlers Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson.

Williamson had been recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament earlier in the year, which limited his fielding abilities. He batted in New Zealand's warm-up matches against Pakistan and South Africa but wasn't risked in the field. His return to the playing XI is expected in the subsequent match against Bangladesh, four days after the Netherlands encounter.

New Zealand started their World Cup campaign with a comprehensive victory over England in their opening match. Despite missing Williamson, they will look to maintain their winning momentum as they face other strong contenders in the tournament.

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"Kane's been progressing very well,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said on Sunday..

"I think the fielding is still the element for him that he's just got to get a little bit higher, and he gets a little bit more trust in his body.

"But he's progressing really well and we are pretty confident that he will be playing the third match for us.

"We've got another training to get through today, so we'll finalise the team (for the match against Netherlands) once we've got through that training.

"But at this stage with Kane, we are looking like the third game is when he will start the tournament.”
New Zealand delivered an emphatic performance in their opening match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, defeating England by nine wickets. They successfully chased down a target of 283 runs with a commanding partnership between Devon Conway, who scored an unbeaten 152*, and Rachin Ravindra, who also remained unbeaten with a century, scoring 123*.

The New Zealand bowling attack, led by Trent Boult and Matt Henry, made it difficult for England to build a substantial total. New Zealand was able to utilize spin options as they controlled the game against the team that defeated them in the epic final of the Cricket World Cup 2019.

With the availability of pacers Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson in their next matches, New Zealand looks to maintain their strong start in the group stage of the tournament. Their convincing victory over England has set a positive tone for their campaign in the World Cup.